Voice of Hope
2 November 2022
My Unforgettable Drive on Kahekili Highway in Hawaii
The last few days I have thought about my drive on one of the most dangerous roads, and it was even nicknamed, "Road of Death!" This Road is on the North Shore of Maui Island.
This road is one lane, carved on the cliffs of the volcano and the ocean on the other side. It is NOT as the Road to Hana. The Road to Hana is scary enough but the Kahekili Highway is not for the faint of heart. Do a search on google, and you will understand why.
I didn't know ahead of time this was a dangerous road. We rented a Jeep and took the Road to Hana. We finally made it to Hana Bay, a beautiful beach with black sand, ending the road to Hana. I was totally nauseous, ready to faint nauseous. I could hardly walk. There was this guy at the beach. He came to me, and introduced himself, a Hawaiian native, who was a licensed acupuncturist. He gave me his card and told me, "You don't look so good, so many people have this problem driving this road. If you want, no charge, I'm happy to give you a massage, and your nausea will go away I promise."
I told that man, "I'm so sick right now, my head is spinning, and I'm going to faint. I don't care. Yes, you can touch me. Get this nausea to stop. Please." That massage worked. Within a minute, I was feeling back to normal.
Then I went into a panic. I can't go back the same way I came; I'll get sick again. I decided to ask the guy selling ice cream, "Is there another way to get back?" He told me I could go around the island to get back. He didn't tell me it would take me 7 hours to get back. He didn't tell me it was unpaved roads, no gas stations, no restaurants, no hotels, no houses, no restrooms, and no other cars! All I saw for hours were volcano roads to my right and the ocean to my left. I was scared to death for real. It was a winding road, a dust road. Finally, there was a place to pull over, park, and just get out. I decided to go by the cliff to take a picture. It was breathtaking. Finally, I heard the sound of a car. I was so excited. Life!!! It was a tour bus. The bus stopped to my surprise. The tour guide was speaking to me, "Miss move away now from the cliff. Please get back here now!" I thought "Oh my God. Who is this guy? What if I go where he is, and I get dragged into that bus? Who's on that bus? There's no one to save us. I'm not moving. The guy now started yelling at me, "Miss, please you don't understand. Move away from the cliff, you're in danger. You're in a very dangerous spot!"
Ok, that definitely got my attention. I moved slowly away, approaching a safe distance between me, my Jeep, and the bus. When I got closer to him, he told me his name and the tour company's name. He explained that exactly where I was standing was a dangerous spot because of certain winds that cross between the rocks and the ocean. They are sudden gusty winds, which produce a sudden big wave, crashing into the cliff of the rock, sweeping anything or anyone into the ocean. Just the week before, a couple had been on that very spot, and they were killed.
Now, I was terrified out of my mind. I tell him, "Sir, we've been on this road for five hours now, not to mention the rest of the hours driving down the Road to Hana. How far are we from the hotel?" He said two more hours. I was about to cry. I got back in the Jeep and tried to enjoy the scenery, not getting out of the car again, not that there was anywhere I could pull over anyway.
This morning, this passage jumped at me:
"There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death." -Proverbs 14:12
Hawaii is breathtaking. I have been to all the islands but one. Each one with its own special beauty. Maui is my favorite of them all. But, in that beauty, there was a danger I didn't know about. I didn't know about the sudden winds, causing the waves to come so high, anyone standing near the cliffs would be swept into the sea. I knew about the currents, the sharks, and surfing was dangerous, but nothing about sudden winds.
I can't help to think if we are not careful, we can find ourselves in circumstances and situations that cause us pain. We must constantly evaluate every single life road we are on. They might seem to be ok, until like me on that road, we find ourselves in a deadly situation. I'm not going to say a wind gust would have come out of nowhere and swept me into the sea. I don't know if that would have happened or not. However, I do find it pretty interesting that after seven hours of driving on only half the side of that island, we passed by only two cars and a tour bus. That man didn't let the tourist off the bus. He stopped for the sole purpose of telling me to move away from the cliff. I wasn't safe.
Folks, I think this passage does not need much explanation. It's precise and clear. Straight to the point. We must be vigilant and careful in what we think and believe. We must consider each step we take in life. We must ask ourselves questions like, "This Road I'm on, where's the ultimate destination I'll arrive at? What are the consequences if I continue? What outcomes will this road have? Will I find blessings? Will this road bring me joy, peace, and a good outcome? Will it bring me embarrassment, regret, and destruction?
This road in this passage leads to death. I'm pretty sure none of us are eager to take this road voluntarily. Just like that man stopped his tour to save me from a possible storm that could arise and plunge me to my death.
I feel this morning that this word, the word of the Living God is warning you. Take a good hard look at the road your life is on and ask yourself the questions I asked above. You see we all have a conscience, and the conscience speaks loud and clear within us. However, if your conscience is seared, then ask God to reveal to you the truth about the Road on which have you placed your entire life. Be very sure you are asking the Spirit of God to navigate. Be triple sure the road you're on isn't going to be a terrible road, leading you to misery, destruction, and death.
Choose wisely. Some roads people take cost them everything, sometimes their very lives. Remember, God always brings warnings first. Listen to that voice yelling, "Stop! Move away from this place! You're in danger. Warning, warning, warning!
Do not be swept away by the sudden winds because you weren't on guard and on the lookout for what was happening around you. Be in tune with God and be led by the Spirit.
God leads us to lie down in the green pastures, good ground, with streams of living water. Don't cheapen the great gifts God gives you in exchange for things that lead you to death.
I'm not home to post one of my pictures. I took this from the web, but you get the idea where I was standing.
Rev. Dr. Teresa Allissa Citro
Founder and President